9 Best Parks and Reserves in Jammu and Kashmir
The beauty of this state is unmatched anywhere else. It makes even the most fearsome men great poets. Here is a list of beautiful parks and gardens in Jammu and Kashmir.
Famous and beautiful parks and pictures in Jammu and Kashmir:
1. Dachigan National Park:
Located 22 kilometers from the summer capital of Srinagar, the park takes its name from the ten villages that were relocated to build the park. Due to the wide variation in elevation in this park, there is a very clear dividing line between gently sloping grasslands and steep rock cliffs. Beyond the tree line, there is a unique beauty of barrenness that is pleasing to the eye.
The most famous main animal species of Dachigam is the Korean or Kashmiri stag. Bird watchers can spot a variety of birds such as cinnamon sparrows, pygmy owls, wagtails, orange bullfinches and red-billed blue magpies, to name a few.
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2. Hermes High Altitude National Park:
Located in Ladakh, it is the largest declared protected area and the second largest continuous protected area in India. As the largest national park in South Asia, it is home to many endangered mammals, including the snow leopard. There is also a 400-year-old Hermis Abbey in the park. A landmark on the historic Silk Road to China, the park is a thrilling scuffle during the Hemis Tsechu festival.
The Hermis High Altitude National Park is the only sanctuary that houses sharps, Eurasian brown bears, red foxes and trans-Himalayan raptors. It is part of a cold desert area with no motor vehicle lanes. This is a great hiking spot and a bird watcher’s paradise.
3. Kishtvar National Park:
Located above the town of Kishtwar, the national park is rugged and steep and is home to various herding nomadic tribes. The weather is pleasant year-round, with occasional snowfall in December and January. The area is rich in vegetation with trees such as silver fir, spruce, cedar, deodar, horse chestnut, walnut, maple, poplar, hazel and blue pine. It is also the natural habitat of the Himalayan snow chicken.
4. Salem Ali National Park:
Also called Urban Forest National Park is located in Srinagar in honor of the famous Indian ornithologist Salim Ali. It was subsequently converted into the Royal Spa Golf Course in the new millennium. The park is home to musk deer and at least 70 bird species, including ring doves, paradise flycatchers and Himalayan monars.
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5. Shalimar Garden:
Emperor Jehangir built this magnificent garden for Nur Jahan. The main attraction is the four terraces built in the garden. The fourth is the best and is reserved for the royal family to enjoy the fresh flowers in summer and autumn.
6. Chashma Shahi:
Shah Jahan laid the royal spring water garden known as the best digestive mineral water. Also dotted with terraced fields, here are some of the finest blooms adorned by tall tang trees. It’s a very romantic place, really a surreal experience. This also features the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, a paradise view of tulip blooms. Therefore it is the largest tulip garden in Asia.
7. Nishat Gardens:
Another Mughal garden is set against the backdrop of the famous Dal Lake and Zabarwan Mountain. This provides stunning views of Dal Lake. A fleet of Shikaras and long walks in the garden refresh your senses.
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8. Verinag Spring Park:
This is the first tourist attraction from Jammu to the Kashmir Valley by road. The star attraction in the Anantnag district is Verinag Spring. In 1620 AD, Emperor Jahangir built an octagonal stone basin and the arcades surrounding it. Later, his son Shah Jahan arranged a beautiful garden. This spring never dries up or overflows and is considered the main source of the Jhelum River. This is a monument of national importance declared by the Archaeological Survey of India.